Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) susceptibility gene PLEKHA7 encodes a novel Rac1/Cdc42 GAP that modulates cell migration and blood-aqueous barrier function.

PLEKHA7, a gene recently associated with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), encodes an apical junctional protein expressed in components of the blood aqueous barrier (BAB). We found that PLEKHA7 is down-regulated in lens epithelial cells and in iris tissue of PACG patients. PLEKHA7 expression also correlated with the C risk allele of the sentinel SNP rs11024102 with the risk allele carrier groups having significantly reduced PLEKHA7 levels compared to non-risk allele carriers. Silencing of PLEKHA7 in human immortalized non-pigmented ciliary epithelium (h-iNPCE) and primary trabecular meshwork cells, which are intimately linked to BAB and aqueous humor outflow respectively, affected actin cytoskeleton organization. PLEKHA7 specifically interacts with GTP-bound Rac1 and Cdc42, but not RhoA, and the activation status of the two small GTPases is linked to PLEKHA7 expression levels. PLEKHA7 stimulates Rac1 and Cdc42 GTP hydrolysis, without affecting nucleotide exchange, identifying PLEKHA7 as a novel Rac1/Cdc42 GAP. Consistent with the regulatory role of Rac1 and Cdc42 in maintaining the tight junction permeability, silencing of PLEKHA7 compromises the paracellular barrier between h-iNPCE cells. Thus, downregulation of PLEKHA7 in PACG may affect BAB integrity and aqueous humor outflow via its Rac1/Cdc42 GAP activity, thereby contributing to disease etiology.

Expression of the primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) susceptibility gene PLEKHA7 in endothelial and epithelial cell junctions in the eye.

PURPOSE: The role of the recently identified primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) susceptibility gene, pleckstrin homology domain containing, family A member 7 (PLEKHA7), in PACG is unknown. PLEKHA7 associates with apical junctional complexes (AJCs) and is thus implicated in paracellular fluid regulation. We aimed to determine PLEKHA7's localization in the eye and its association with AJCs to elucidate its potential role in PACG. METHODS: Total RNA from ocular tissues was isolated and analyzed by real-time PCR. Frozen and paraffin-embedded human globes were sectioned and used for immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analysis. RESULTS: Specific PLEKHA7 expression was found in the muscles, vascular endothelium, and epithelium of the iris, ciliary body and ciliary processes, trabecular meshwork (TM), and choroid. PLEKHA7 expression in musculature and vascular endothelium was confirmed with smooth muscle marker, SMA, and endothelium marker, PECAM-1, respectively. At the above sites, PLEKHA7 colocalization was seen with adherens junction markers (E-cadherin and ß-catenin) and tight junction markers (ZO-1). CONCLUSIONS: Specific localization of PLEKHA7 was found within PACG-related structures (iris, ciliary body, and choroid) and blood-aqueous barrier (BAB) structures (posterior iris epithelium, nonpigmented ciliary epithelium, iris and ciliary body microvasculature). The association of PLEKHA7 with AJCs in the eye suggests a potential role for PLEKHA7 in PACG via fluidic regulation. Novel expression of PLEKHA7 was also seen in the ocular smooth muscles and vascular endothelia.

Adenosine-containing molecules amplify glucose signaling and enhance txnip expression.

Eukaryotic cells sense extracellular glucose concentrations via diverse mechanisms to regulate the expression of genes involved in metabolic control. One such example is the tight correlation between the expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) and extracellular glucose levels. In this report, we show that the transcription of the Txnip gene is induced by adenosine-containing molecules, of which an intact adenosine moiety is necessary and sufficient. Txnip promoter contains a carbohydrate response element, which mediates the induction of Txnip expression by these molecules in a glucose-dependent manner. Max-like protein X and MondoA are transcription factors previously shown to stimulate glucose-dependent Txnip expression and are shown here to convey stimulatory signals from extracellular adenosine-containing molecules to the Txnip promoter. The regulatory role of these molecules may be exerted via amplifying glucose signaling. Hence, this revelation may pave the way for interventions aimed toward metabolic disorders resulting from abnormal glucose homeostasis.

Logic of a mammalian metabolic cycle: an oscillated NAD+/NADH redox signaling regulates coordinated histone expression and S-phase progression.

Many biological activities naturally oscillate. Here, we show that the NAD(+)/NADH ratios (redox status) fluctuate during mammalian cell cycle, with the S-phase redox status being the least oxidative. The S-phase NAD(+)/NADH redox status gates histone expression and S-phase progression, and may provide a genome protection mechanism during S-phase DNA replication as implicated in yeast. Accordingly, perturbing the cellular redox inhibits histone expression and leads to S-phase arrest. We propose that the S-phase NAD(+)/NADH redox status constitutes a redox signaling, which along with the cyclin E/cdk2 signaling regulates histone expression and S-phase progression.

Histone 2B (H2B) expression is confined to a proper NAD+/NADH redox status.

S-phase transcription of the histone 2B (H2B) gene is dependent on Octamer-binding factor 1 (Oct-1) and Oct-1 Co-Activator in S-phase (OCA-S), a protein complex comprising glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase (p38/GAPDH and p36/LDH) along with other components. H2B transcription in vitro is modulated by NAD(H). This potentially links the cellular redox status to histone expression. Here, we show that H2B transcription requires a proper NAD(+)/NADH redox status in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, perturbing a properly balanced redox impairs H2B transcription. A redox-modulated direct p38/GAPDH-Oct-1 interaction nucleates the occupancy of the H2B promoter by the OCA-S complex, in which p36/LDH plays a critical role in the hierarchical organization of the complex. As for p38/GAPDH, p36/LDH is essential for the OCA-S function in vivo, and OCA-S-associated p36/LDH possesses an LDH enzyme activity that impacts H2B transcription. These studies suggest that the cellular redox status (metabolic states) can directly feedback to gene switching in higher eukaryotes as is commonly observed in prokaryotes.